What happened this week
Wang delivered his remarks following a Monday meeting with Hildegard Müller, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry. He later held a video call with Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group AG and president of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. During the conversation, Wang described the auto industry as central to China-EU collaboration, appealed for open markets on both sides, and invited Mercedes‑Benz along with other European carmakers to increase their investment in China.
The message from Beijing
Wang urged the EU to avoid protectionist moves and to ensure conditions remain "fair, open and non-discriminatory." He added, "We don't want to see the EU turn to protectionism, restrict or close its markets, leading to markets around the world shutting themselves off from one another." He added that Beijing intends to tackle auto‑trade matters via the China‑EU mechanism for trade and investment consultations.
The European response and timing
Berlin is assembling an economic‑security plan to protect strategic sectors from China, and the package may add new duties on hybrid electric vehicles as well as tighten export controls. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government aims for cabinet sign‑off on Oct. 14, after which it will look for wider EU endorsement. EU leaders are scheduled to gather next month to address the trade deficit with China and weigh new measures for dealing with Beijing's trade policies. Brussels and Beijing established an October cutoff to achieve movement on their trade disputes.
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What it means for your portfolio
Auto is the arena to watch. Any shift on tariffs or export controls can ripple through European and Chinese carmakers, parts suppliers, and cross-border investors. The calendar is crowded too, with October shaping up as a decision window in Berlin, Brussels and Beijing that could reset expectations across trade-sensitive names.
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